Tamaki Suoh
René Tamaki Richard de Grantaine Suoh (aka Tamaki Suoh), is the son of Ouran Academy's Chairman, Yuzuru Suoh, and the president of the Ouran Host Club. Tamaki is in Class 2-A, the same class as his best friend and Host Club co-founder, Kyoya Ootori. Personality Tamaki Suoh is one of two major protagonists in this shojo comedy, the other being his love interest, Haruhi Fujioka. Although his outward manner would be best described as flamboyant, egotistical and dramatic he is, in fact, a young man dedicated to his studies, his friends, and his duties as a host. He is considered the "princely" type, entertaining his female clients with upper-class etiquette and shameless flattery. He views the club as his "family" with himself as the father, Kyoya Ootori as the mother, Haruhi Fujioka as the daughter, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin as the sons, and Honey and Mori as the neighbors. His real family consists of his mother, Anne-Sophie (who he is forbidden to see by his grandmother until late in the manga); his father, Yuzuru Suoh; and his strict paternal grandmother, Shizue Suoh. He is also known to be an accomplished classical pianist. As the main comic relief character of the series, Tamaki is portrayed as outspoken and naive for his age. Throughout the anime and manga series, his facial expressions are the most exaggerated. While celebrating romance in general, he is quite blind to his own feelings of romantic love towards Haruhi, of which the other hosts are completely aware. Of all the hosts, Tamaki's "host" personality differs the most from his true personality insofar that he is both poised and charming as a host, but often bumbling and attention-seeking outside of that milieu. His desire to please the Host Club's female guests, however, is so genuine that he denies to himself and everyone else his love for Haruhi in order to keep the Host Club up and running. Despite his childish attitude he is suprisingly intelligent, easily ranking second in Class 2-A, the top spot being held by Kyoya. It is also shown that he does not put much effort into his studies (e.g. watching TV in the middle of the night before a quiz), hinting that his academic standing may not originate from hard work but superior intelligence. Although there are instances where he demonstrates brilliant insights that surprise many, he still remains a goofball and a flirt most of the time. Tamaki is born under the star sign of Aries, the Ram. The positive traits of this sign are adventurousness, courage, versatility, liveliness and passion; the negative traits being arrogance, stubborness, impulsivity, a lack of discipline, a tendency towards being confrontational and a tendency to leave projects midway. Appearance Being a hafu (Japanese by his father and French by his mother), Tamaki has the pale-blond hair inherited from his mother. His eye color in the anime is violet, but in the manga is blue. When he's not at school, he prefers to wear haute couture clothing. His good looks and charm often allow him to win over others and he is known by the rest of his club members as Tono (i.e. King/Boss), with a 70% request rate by the female guests. He enjoys cosplay and does so with the Club, often. He is able to cry without the use of eyedrops (which he claims to be the mark of a true host) and his appearance been compared to the President of the Black Magic Club, Umehito Nekozawa, whose natural features include blond hair with blue eyes. Tamaki's rose color in the Host Club is white. In Japanese culture, this signifies innocence, which manifests itself in Tamaki's general naivete. In Western culture, the white rose is symbolic of happiness in love. This is ironic insofar that, although he genuinely strives to provide his female customers with happiness in their love pursuits, he himself is unable to recognize his own love for Haruhi until the near-finale of the manga and only marginally in the anime's final episode. Background As a child, Tamaki grew up in France with his mother, with his father visiting periodically. Anne-Sophie's family has a business so Tamaki grows up in the De Grantaine mansion where the servants call him by his French given name, René. As time goes on, Anne-Sophie's health takes a turn for for worse, causing her to remain bedridden for days at a time. Tamaki learns to play the piano and because it pleases his mother, plays for her when she is sick. When she's feeling better, they often play together or watch the Japanese DVD's Yuzuru provides. A former employee at the De Grantaine mansion describes their young master as a "sensible and quiet" child3 because he would refuse to do anything fun that didn't include his mother. Family The Suoh family Tamaki is the only child of Yuzuru Suoh, Chairman of Ouran Academy's School Board and Anne-Sophie de Grantaine, a beautiful and kind-hearted French woman with whom Yuzuru falls in love during a business trip to Paris. In a deal forged between his mother, Anne-Sophie and Shizue Suoh, the matriarch of the Suoh Family and Tamaki's stern grandmother, Tamaki is sent to live inJapan. Due to his illegitimacy, however, Shizue Suoh has him reside in a secondary mansion, instead of the main Suoh mansion where she and Yuzuru reside. Yuzuru Suoh Yuzuru Suoh is the patriarch of the Suoh family, as well as Tamaki's father; however, his power is limited by his mother's iron control over the Suoh holdings. Despite his status as Chairman, Yuzuru can do nothing to help his son reconcile with the stern old woman. It should be noted that Tamaki's father defied his mother only once, when he broke off his marriage with his mother's choice for his wife to be with Tamaki's mother. Later, in Volume 9 of the manga, it is revealed that Yuzuru knows where Anne-Sophie is located following her "disappearance," but keeps this to himself to allow Shizue time to reconcile with her grandson. At the conclusion of both the anime and the manga, it is shown that he wishes for his son to marry Haruhi Fujioka, in opposition to Yoshio Ootori's desire for her to become Kyoya's bride. Although Tamaki's looks come from his mother, his charming nature is much like his father's. In his father's presence, however, Tamaki is quite serious, though the same cannot be said of the opposite. In fact, in the manga, Yuzuru is portrayed as someone who teases his son whenever the chance arises - examples of this in the manga include sending his son "red herrings" in the middle of an investigation and telling tall tales about ninjas. Anne-Sophie de Grantaine Anne-Sophie is Tamaki's mother, who voluntarily separates herself from her son and beloved for specific reasons, and resides in France. She originally meets Yuzuru Suoh while he's in Paris on a business trip, falling in love with him and bearing him a son. However, when Tamaki is born, she and her son are forbidden by Shizue Suoh to return to Japan with Yuzuru. Instead, she raises Tamaki in France until he is fourteen, at which point Tamaki's grandmother offers her financial security in return for relinquishing all control and visiting rights over her son to her. Anne-Sophie accepts this offer because she is ill and fears for her son's future, going into hiding after Tamaki's departure. In the manga, during a 2nd-year school trip to France, Kyoya Ootori finds her and discovers that she is living quite healthily and thinking of her son every day. Anne-Sophie suffers with Systemic lupus erythematosus4. Eventually, mother and son are reunited in Japan. In the manga, it is shown that the Suoh family establishes a friendly bond with Haruhi's father, Ryoji Fujioka Shizue Suoh Shizue is the Suoh matriarch and controls all of the Suoh holdings, including their personal finances; she is also Tamaki's grandmother and Yuzuru's mother. When she is widowed at a rather young age, she forces Yuzuru into an arranged marriage and makes him the Suoh patriarch (in name only) in order to strengthen the Suoh Family's position in both social and business circles. Though it is unknown what she was like prior to this time, it seems that succeeding events caused her to become bitter and mean, and one of the only people that Honey hates. It's no secret that she resents both Anne-Sophie and Tamaki, often calling her grandson a "filthy child" and refusing to acknowledge either him or his mother. However, because of Tamaki's kindness and true desire to befriend and be close to his grandmother, her heart softens and she comes to love and acknowledge the boy. Over time, she also comes to accept Tamaki's mother because of the generous spirit Tamaki has demonstrated despite hardship. In the manga, it is through Haruhi and her friends' intervention and mediation that Shizue comes to terms with Anne-Sophie and Tamaki to the point that Shizue asks Tamaki to apologize to Anne-Sophie on her behalf, as well as insist that Tamaki see his mother off. Shizue remarks that she finds Haruhi an interesting girl and that she supports Tamaki's decision to be with her. Relationships Haruhi Fujioka Initially, Tamaki sees Haruhi as a commoner and is the last of the hosts to realize her true gender, which he only realizes when he accidentally observes her changing. Tamaki feelings develop from casual interest to deep abiding love over the course of the anime (in part) and in the manga (completely). In the anime, even under the illusion that Haruhi is a boy, he shamelessly flirts with her, his feelings intensifying upon discovering that "he"is a "she." His blindness to his own feelings comes out as jealousy towards the Hitachiin twins, who spend a good deal of time with her because they are classmates. In the manga, he first shows his romantic interest in Haruhi when she's ill and he kisses her on the forehead, just as his father did to him under similar circumstances. For most of both series, however, he thinks of his emotions as "Fatherly Love," in part because he truly is oblivious and in part because he cherishes the Host Club "family" he has created. At first, Haruhi calls him obnoxious due to his antics, but later realizes that he is genuinely thoughtful and kind to her, as well as towards others. After they overcome countless difficulties (which mainly consists of clarifying their dense feelings for each other), the two are shown marrying in an omake and are the first of the Host Club members to have children. Kyoya Ootori As Tamaki's best friend, Kyoya has shared the same class as him since Tamaki entered Ouran Academy's middle school division in the spring of their 3rd year. Their close relationship manifests itself in the blond's frequent reference to him as "Mommy" and his reciprocated (though reluctant) reference to Tamaki as "Daddy." Despite their contrasting appearances and outward personalities, they are both shown to share the quality of helping others, and Kyoya is often shown assisting Tamaki in implementing the blond's plans. When first introduced to each other, Kyoya is polite but secretly envies Tamaki's position as the heir-apparent within the Suoh family despite his status as an illegitimate son. In time, the bespectacled male lets his frustrations towards Tamaki out in an emotional outburst, where he accuses Tamaki of not trying hard enough to achieve patriarchal status of his family. Tamaki responds that it is Kyoya himself who refuses to rise to that particular challenge. An epiphany occurs within Kyoya, who realizes that Tamaki is correct and that his honesty in a world of duplicity makes him a valuable friend and ally. Hikaru Hitachiin Despite their outward rivalry for Haruhi's attentions, it is Hikaru who helps Tamaki realize his true feelings for the girl, helping him understand that their bond together as a club or as a family wouldn't be broken should he pursue romance with Haruhi. Hikaru first meets Tamaki when he and his twin brother, Kaoru, are recruited for the newly-formed Host Club during the twins' last year of middle school. They agree to join on the condition that the blond can win the "Which One Is Hikaru? Game" without randomly guessing. Despite the fact that Tamaki fails many times, he persists and finally guesses correctly to win the game once, viaintuition. The twins, secretly impressed with his determination, uphold their end of the bargain and join the Host Club where they engage in questionable behavior suggested by Tamaki as the "brotherly love" package. In the manga, Hikaru is a member of Tamaki's team during the Annual Sports Carnival. Also in the manga, Hikaru and Tamaki compete for Haruhi's favor when they argue over who will give Haruhi the best gift on her birthday. In the end, they both lose toKasanoda who gives her a shrimp porridge-maker. Through his interaction with the club members, Hikaru begins to open up and to think of others. He is remorseful, perhaps for the first time in his life, when Tamaki berates him for abandoning Haruhi during a thunderstorm in Ep 16 - Operation Haruhi and Hikaru's First Date! His teasing of Tamaki is actually Hikaru's socially inept way of showing his fondness and he, along with Kaoru, frequently plays jokes on Tamaki and finds it especially amusing to tease the Host Club President about his wish to be called "King" (aka Tono or Boss) and, instead, calls him an idiot. Knowing that Tamaki loves Haruhi, even if he's unaware of it, both twins flirt with her endlessly to prod him into reality or just to get him fired up for their amusement. An example of this is seen in Ep 07 - Jungle Pool SOS! wherein they trick the blond into a water gun fight by telling Haruhi they're going to marry her and go on honeymoon which effectively gets Tamaki into the fray. Tamaki is equally fond of them, despite being frequently exasperated by their mischief and calling them "shady twins." Kaoru Hitachiin Kaoru first meets Tamaki when he and his twin brother, Hikaru, are recruited for the newly-formed Host Club during the twins' last year of middle school. They agree to join on the condition that the blond can win the "Which One Is Hikaru? Game" without randomly guessing. Despite the fact that Tamaki fails many times, he persists and finally guesses correctly to win the game once, via intuition. The twins, secretly impressed with his determination, uphold their end of the bargain and join the Host Club where they engage in questionable behavior suggested by Tamaki as the "brotherly love" package. Kaoru, being more sensitive and insightful, understands that both Hikaru and Tamaki care about Haruhi, as he does himself. He gives up on pursuing Haruhi to allow Hikaru a chance to be with her. His teasing of Tamaki is more as a support for his brother, Hikaru, although he also finds it especially amusing to tease the Host Club President about his wish to be called "King" (aka Tono or Boss). When Hikaru takes Haruhi on a date in Operation Haruhi and Hikaru's First Date! and is rude to her, it is Kaoru who calms down an outraged Tamaki by explaining that he thought Haruhi would be the best person to help Hikaru learn how to think of others before himself; this, in quite eloquent terms, impressing the Host Club King greatly. Tamaki is fond of both brothers, despite being frequently exasperated by their mischief and calling them "shady twins" and although they initially find him annoying, they grow to admire Tamaki because of his ability to simultaneously see them as unique individuals and as an inseparable unit, which he views as a positive aspect of their relationship. Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninozuka Honey refers to Tamaki as "Tama-chan" and is shown to respect and care for him. Tamaki is the first person, outside of Mori, to encourage Honey to be exactly who he is without apology and who accepts his loli-shota ways without question, stating that true courage is the ability to be oneself. In Ep 14 - Covering the Famous Host Club! it is Honey who comes to Tamaki's defense when the gossip-mongering Newspaper Club accuses Tamaki of using his position as the School Board Chairman's son to control the other hosts. Honey speaks up, saying that Tamaki is blameless in that regard; that they are all members of Host Club because they just simply like him. Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka Mori and Tamaki become friends as a result of their mutual friendship with Honey, though they don't seem to interact on a personal level as much as the blond does with the other hosts; in fact, Mori's reticent nature renders him a bit of a mystery. When Ritsu Kasanoda comes to the club unannounced to become Mori's apprentice, Mori lashes out without warning, which Tamaki misinterprets as anger towards the club because Mori has so few lines throughout the anime. What follows, then, is Mori's definitive episode, Ep 22 - Mori-senpai Has an Apprentice Candidate! Éclair Tonnere Éclair is an anime-only character that is both the heir apparent to the French-based Grand Tonnerre Group, as well as Tamaki's brief betrothed. After developing a crush on him thanks to stories from Anne-Sophie (a housekeeper in her employ), she flies to Japan to take care of family business and to meet him, ultimately arranging to be engaged to him. When she recognizes that her fiance is attracted to Haruhi, she forces him to disband the Host Club and agree to return to France with her, where he will be allowed to see his beloved mother once more. On the way to the airport, however, Haruhi drives a horse-drawn carriage up to the departing couple's automobile and begs Tamaki to stay with the Host Club because of their affection for him and their enjoyment of the club, including her own. As both vehicles are crossing a bridge, Haruhi topples off the carriage and the bridge, plunging towards the water below. Tamaki bids farewell to Éclair and leaps after Haruhi, leaving the heiress to call him a fool, but remarking that even to her manipulative self, he managed to muster a genuine smile, demonstrating his innate sweetness. Renge Houshakuji Renge comes to the Host Club to meet Kyoya, but first encounters Tamaki who employs his usual tactics of flattery and flirting. Much to his surprise, Renge's response is to reject him outright as a "phony prince" and a "narcissistic prince". She finds it difficult to believe that Tamaki is the leader of the Host Club and Kyoya only the vice-president; however, as the series progresses, Tamaki and Renge develop a friendly, symbiotic relationship to one another. Tamaki values Renge's enthusiasm for the Host Club as well as her otaku database of knowledge, enlisting her help in developing events and re-shaping their character arcs. This occurs in Ep 04 - Attack of the Lady Manager! when Shiro Takaoji demands that Tamaki teach him how to make a girl happy and again, in Ep 11 - Big Brother is a Prince! when Renge remodelsUmehito Nekozawa into a princely big brother for his younger sister, Kirimi Nekozawa. Tamaki also hopes that Renge's femininity might rub off on Haruhi, even though he has a meltdown when Renge's crush on Kyoya shifts onto Haruhi at the conclusion of Attack of the Lady Manager! Renge, for her part, enjoys being acknowledged as a knowledgeable and valued resource for the club and appreciates Tamaki's flair for the dramatic and tolerance of moe. In the manga, Renge is on Tamaki's team during the annual Ouran Sports Carnival and supports Tamaki's relationship with Haruhi, when it's announced. Ryoji "Ranka" Fujioka Ryoji and Tamaki first meet in Ep 10 - A Day in the Life of the Fujioka Family!, his initial impression of Tamaki being, "He's an idiot" and later, upon noticing Tamaki's genuine interest in Haruhi, "the enemy." Ironically, Ryoji and Tamaki share similar personality traits such as emotionality, over-protectiveness of Haruhi and a somewhat naive understanding of life; these similarities viewed by the other hosts as the reason Haruhi is able to handle Tamaki so well. In the later chapters of the manga, Ryoji approves of Tamaki's relationship with Haruhi and Haruhi's decision to go to America. Despite not wanting to admit it, he eventually accepts Tamaki and enjoys teasing him, just as Tamaki's father, Yuzuru, does. Michelle of Monale When Tamaki first sees Michelle, he is instantly obsessed because of Michelle's blue eyes and honey-blonde hair, which resembles his mother's violet-blue eyes and pale-blonde hair. He works tirelessly to meet her ever-rising demands, much to the other hosts' dismay. Eventually, he realizes that her brattiness is a ploy and that her smiles are fake and so, he arranges for her brother, Prince Rolance, to visit her so that Tamaki may see her true smile. Kyoya helps the club undersand Tamaki's behavior by revealing that the last time Tamaki saw his mother, she was crying, and that he desperately wants to see her smile again even if he can only do so through Michelle. Megumi Kanoya Megumi transfers to Ouran when her parents split and she is forbidden from seeing her father. At a Host Club equestrian event, Tamaki shields her from the kick of a spooked horse. Due to this act of chivalry and her emotional vulnerability, she quickly clings to Tamaki as a companion and crush. Due to her strong resemblance to Haruhi, her feminity, and ability to relate to Tamaki's family situation, the other boys realize that she is his dream girl in the flesh. It is his encounters with Megumi that finally lead Tamaki to understand his romantic feelings for Haruhi and the reasons he is running from them.